Essay on The Many Versions of The Legend of King Arthur

Essay on The Many Versions of The Legend of King Arthur

Essay Preview

The Many Versions of The Legend of King Arthur

There are countless versions of the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. Most English versions are based on Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, but where did these tales originate, and what different interpretations are there today? This essay seeks to examine the roots and different renditions of the various legends circulating today. The first section deals with the origins of the legend. The second section speculates on who the "real" King Arthur could have been. A comparison of several different versions, and suggestions of why they differ are given in the third section, and the conclusion presents an analysis on the ambiguity of the legend.
The first question is, when and where did these tales originate? It is said that the earliest stories concerning King Arthur are the Welsh tales "Culhwch and Olwen" and "Dream of Rhonabwy" dating from before the 1lth century (Ford web page).
Around 1139 Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote "Historia Regum Britanniae" (History of the Kings of Britain) which 'glorified Arthur and made him an international warlord' (Green web page). There seems to be much debate over whether Geoffrey made these stories up or whether he took most of his information from an earlier British source unknown to us as he claims. It cannot be denied, however, that regardless of their historical credibility, it was because of them that the name of Arthur, strictly regional until then, spread to and inspired people all over the world.
The French medieval poet, Chretien de Troys, brought most of the characters and stories we know today to the legend at around 1160-90. He transformed the names of Geoffrey's charact...

... middle of paper ...

...hat it is the fact that nothing can be concluded that appeals to us and draws so many people into the enchantment of this legend. The room left for imagination is what made King Arthur and his knights immortal

Websites:

http://britannia.com/history/arthur/
-Britannia's website on King Arthur. Includes a timeline, an interview with Geoffrey Ashe, chronology, biography on characters, and much more.
http://freespace.virgin.net/david.ford2/arthur.html
-David Nash Ford s website on King Arthur. Includes a detailed research on the roots of the legend, along with speculations on the identity of the king. Sympathetic to Geoffrey of Monmouth.
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/tomgreen/figures.html
-Thomas Green's website on King Arthur. Explores various aspects of the Arthurian legend and literature. Includes various theories on characters.

Need Writing Help?

- By the ninth century people all over were telling the fabulous tales and romances about Arthur and his kingdom. The common people heard them sung by bards, while in the court poets wrote different versions. In each retelling the speaker would select certain details for emphasis and introduce new elements, so that the story could be adapted to the particular time and audience. Although most historians believe that there actually did exist an Arthur, they differ on how major his role was on influencing society during his time.... [tags: History King Arthur Essays]

- Glastonbury is an average town that is full of many intriguing legends that the world wonders of its veracity. Glastonbury is known for the popular legends of King Arthur, as well as the prestigious Holy Grail. This town also hosts the tales of Joseph of Arimathea and Jesus’s staff that created the Holy Thorn. It is visually apparent that the landscape of Glastonbury is perplexing, but the fables of the Sun Temple created within the rivers and hills are just another one of its falsities. The stories of Glastonbury are interesting, but they are in fact just legends to keep readers occupied.... [tags: king arthur, troubadours ]

- The legend of King Arthur has intrigued generations for over a thousand years. Over these years, this tapestry has been handed down through the hands of many gifted storytellers. Bits and pieces were taken out and replaced by new strands woven in to fabricate a slight variation of the original that’s suitable for the audience or perhaps the storyteller himself. These modifications are evident in the 1981 film of Excalibur and Thomas Malory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur” published in 1485. The film incorporates magical acts while religious allusions are portrayed in the text.... [tags: Literature Review]

- The Impact of King Arthur and the Chivalric Code Today, many young children when asked who their favorite hero is will tell you many of the super heroes seen on television. Before Superman, Batman and even Spiderman there was the legend of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table. The heroic knights and their king’s tales gave western society a great literature that is still well- known today. King Arthur, Guinevere, and Sir Lancelot did not really exist, but the stories of gallant knights in shining armour, elegant women in medieval castles, and the heroic quests for the Holy Grail played a major role in developing and creating the brave courageous superheros that beacame throughout... [tags: Chivalry]

- Tales Of King Arthur Since the romanticizing of the Arthurian legends by Geoffery of Monmouth, the historian, during the twelfth century, the legendary 'king of England' has been the source of inspiration for kings, poets, artists and dreamers alike. The most famous work is probably Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, completed around 1470, and published in many abridged and complete versions. Malory's work contains in one the legend that had been continually added to over the years by many different writers who introduced such elements as Sir Galahad, and the ill-fated love affair between Lancelot and Guinevere.... [tags: essays research papers]

- King Arthur If the name of King Arthur is mentioned, I suppose what comes to mind is not so much one person as a whole array of characters and themes, a montage so to speak. Of course we do think first of the King, the magnificent monarch of a glorified or idealized medieval realm. But we think also of his Queen, of the fair and wayward Guinevere, we think of his enchanter, Merlin, who presided over his birth, who set him on the throne, who established him there in the early and traveled days of his reign.... [tags: Essays Papers]

- What exactly is the Holy Grail. Does anyone really know why it is so significant. Why is this grail so important. These are all such questions that anyone could ask if one had no knowledge of either the Last Supper or the Arthurian age--two times in which the Holy Grail holds outstanding significance. Throughout the length of this research paper, one will come to know what the Holy Grail is, why it holds such a high amount of significance, its relationship to the Arthurian age and what the Holy Grail means now in the modern world.... [tags: Holy Grail, King Arthur, Romance]

- What starts out as a story meant to intrigue its audience soon evolves into a true legend known throughout the world reaching almost every inch and crevasse in sight. The tale of King Arthur Pendragon is one that sees many forms, nevertheless still stays true to certain aspects of its origin. We seek to explain Arthur’s history in books, in voice and, in the contemporary world, through films. Although some tell a story, it is interesting to also learn the recorded history and parallels found throughout each that cause Arthur Pendragon and his Knights of the Round Table to be such unique aspects to look at.... [tags: King Arthur, Holy Grail, Lancelot]

- People all around the world have experienced a tumultuous period in their life. The legend of King Arthur helps people connect to something outside of themselves during these rough patches. The different stories of King Arthur are very relatable to people of different backgrounds and cultures. The legend of King Arthur has withstood the tests of time because of the connection it has to people of different backgrounds, cultures, and time periods. The history of the legend provides a detailed past to Britain, as well as the rest of the world and has captured the attention of readers for centuries.... [tags: King Arthur, Holy Grail, Le Morte d'Arthur]

- The Depiction of Morgan Le Fay in Various Accounts of The Arthurian Legend Morgaine speaks.... "In my time I have been called many things: sister, lover, priestess, wise-woman, queen." So begins Marion Zimmer Bradley's account of the Arthurian legend, which places unusual emphasis on the character of Morgaine, otherwise known as Morgan Le Fay. But who exactly is Morgan and how does she vary in the different accounts of the Arthurian legend. In order to assess how Morgan Le Fay is depicted throughout history, it is first important to establish who she is and what part she plays in the legend.... [tags: Papers]